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Summary

Leviticus 11:1–8 – Land animals: clean and unclean

What happens: God tells Moses and Aaron which land animals Israel may eat. Animals that both chew the cud and have a split hoof are clean. Creatures like the camel, rock badger, hare, and pig are unclean and must not be eaten or touched when dead.

What it means: God sets daily boundaries that teach holiness. Food laws train Israel to distinguish and to live as a people set apart to the Lord.

Leviticus 11:9–12 – Creatures in water

What happens: Only water creatures with fins and scales are clean. Anything in seas or rivers without fins and scales is unclean and detestable.

What it means: God defines purity even in hidden places. Obedience means honoring his rule, not appetite or custom.

Leviticus 11:13–19 – Unclean birds

What happens: Birds of prey and scavengers such as eagles, vultures, kites, and owls are unclean. Israel must not eat them.

What it means: Israel avoids what pictures violence and death. God guards his people from habits that dull respect for life.

Leviticus 11:20–23 – Winged insects

What happens: All winged insects that walk on all fours are unclean, except certain locusts, katydids, crickets, and grasshoppers which are clean.

What it means: God’s commands are precise and wise. He allows variety without lowering holiness.

Leviticus 11:24–28 – Touching carcasses of land animals

What happens: Touching the carcass of unclean animals makes a person unclean until evening, with washing required. The same applies to those who carry the carcass.

What it means: Contact with death brings impurity. God teaches Israel to treat life as sacred and to practice careful cleanness.

Leviticus 11:29–38 – Small creatures and household items

What happens: Dead bodies of small creatures like mice and lizards make objects unclean. Earthen vessels must be broken; food or water contaminated becomes unclean unless sealed apart from water.

What it means: Holiness reaches kitchens and tools. God’s order promotes both ritual purity and wise sanitation.

Leviticus 11:39–40 – Carcasses of clean animals

What happens: Touching or eating a clean animal that dies on its own still brings uncleanness until evening and requires washing.

What it means: Even permitted things can defile when linked to death. God’s people stay alert to purity in shifting situations.

Leviticus 11:41–45 – Swarming things and the call to holiness

What happens: All swarming creatures that crawl on the ground are unclean and must not be eaten. God says, “Be holy, for I am holy,” reminding Israel he brought them out of Egypt.

What it means: Holiness is grounded in God’s character and saving act. Redemption leads to a distinct way of life.

Leviticus 11:46–47 – Summary

What happens: These rules help Israel distinguish between clean and unclean animals, between what may be eaten and what may not.

What it means: Discernment is a daily discipline for God’s people. Clear lines protect worship and identity.

Application

  • Let God’s word shape daily choices, not cravings or trends.
  • Honor life and avoid what numbs respect for it.
  • Practice discernment in small routines; holiness grows through habits.
  • Remember redemption and live distinctly for the Lord.

Bible

1And the LORD spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,

2Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.

3Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.

4Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

5And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

6And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

7And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.

8Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.

9These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.

10And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you:

11They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination.

12Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.

13And these are they which ye shall have in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the ospray,

14And the vulture, and the kite after his kind;

15Every raven after his kind;

16And the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,

17And the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,

18And the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,

19And the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.

20All fowls that creep, going upon all four, shall be an abomination unto you.

21Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all four, which have legs above their feet, to leap withal upon the earth;

22Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.

23But all other flying creeping things, which have four feet, shall be an abomination unto you.

24And for these ye shall be unclean: whosoever toucheth the carcase of them shall be unclean until the even.

25And whosoever beareth ought of the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.

26The carcases of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not clovenfooted, nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you: every one that toucheth them shall be unclean.

27And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all four, those are unclean unto you: whoso toucheth their carcase shall be unclean until the even.

28And he that beareth the carcase of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: they are unclean unto you.

29These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind,

30And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole.

31These are unclean to you among all that creep: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be unclean until the even.

32And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead, doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment, or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherein any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; so it shall be cleansed.

33And every earthen vessel, whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean; and ye shall break it.

34Of all meat which may be eaten, that on which such water cometh shall be unclean: and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean.

35And every thing whereupon any part of their carcase falleth shall be unclean; whether it be oven, or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down: for they are unclean, and shall be unclean unto you.

36Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean: but that which toucheth their carcase shall be unclean.

37And if any part of their carcase fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it shall be clean.

38But if any water be put upon the seed, and any part of their carcase fall thereon, it shall be unclean unto you.

39And if any beast, of which ye may eat, die; he that toucheth the carcase thereof shall be unclean until the even.

40And he that eateth of the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: he also that beareth the carcase of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even.

41And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten.

42Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.

43Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.

44For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

45For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

46This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth:

47To make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.

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